Carlos Alcaraz said that playing aggressively helped him beat Jack Draper in the Italian Open 2025. On Wednesday, May 14, the 22-year-old Alcaraz took an hour and 37 minutes to win the quarterfinal match 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court.

In the first set, Alcaraz found himself under pressure after Draper went 4-2 up with a break of serve. But the Spaniard responded brilliantly with back-to-back breaks and closed out the set in 42 minutes.

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Alcaraz earned an early break in the second set, but Draper earned it back immediately to make it 1-1. At 4-4, Alcaraz drilled the final nail in the coffin with his fourth and last break of the match. The youngster said that he didn’t let Draper dictate terms in long rallies.

“I think the most important thing I did today was not thinking if I was up or down, just trying to do the things that make me happy on court. Trying to play aggressive, hitting good shots, drop shots, and going to the net. That’s what I like to do on the court. I think that’s what made the difference today.

“I played at such a high rhythm during the whole match. I didn’t let him dominate or stay long in the rallies. I think that was a really good weapon today for me. Really proud of the way I approached the match,” Alcaraz said in the on-court interview.

Alcaraz gaining back confidence

Alcaraz made his comeback in Rome after missing the Madrid Open due to the groin and hamstring injuries he sustained in Barcelona. However, Alcaraz, who will be defending his French Open crown later this month, said that he has started to gain confidence.

“I just feel like I’m playing great tennis on clay. I think I started the clay season really well. It was a shame I got injured after Barcelona. It’s always difficult to be in shape for the whole swing. All the tournaments. Just to accept it, keep going. Try to recover as well as I can. I’m happy I’m feeling the good rhythm and feeling the good tennis again on clay here in Rome. These matches give me a lot of confidence,” Alcaraz added.

In the semi-final, Alcaraz will be up against Lorenzo Musetti, who handed Alexander Zverev a shock straight-set defeat in the quarters.